13: Contact

In a moment of decision
the best thing you can do is the right thing.
The worst thing you can do is nothing.

Theodore Roosevelt

“Howdy,” Lamar said as they met in the middle of the passage early in the morning. “You’re on your way to the bridge again?”

“Yeah, since the bridge runs so smoothly with Betty, Zita and I working together, Captain Yitzl always schedules us for the same shifts. He then rotates his other officers through to expose them to our approach, hoping it’ll positively influence them.”

“It’s the same with us. We’re meeting with a couple other engineers to perform some repairs. I plan to work with them, talking shop, while Mui double-checks the sensors before we put them into operation.”

“So how did your date go?” Betty pressed, grinning at the engineers.

“It went wonderfully!” Mui said, linking arms with her husband. “Takrrq is wonderful, which is who we’re meeting. Lamar is taking the other engineer, while Takrrq will assist me as I perform the sensor checks.”

“And we’re sure we can trust him?” Zita asked.

Mui chuckled. “We sure do. Not only did we hit it off, but Myi and Bi both vouched for him. It seems he’d noticed the timing of your missions, not associating them with the sensor repairs. He knew we were up to something, and was quick to volunteer, whatever we were doing.”

“Sounds a little like a plant,” Betty warned.

“Nah, he’s too committed. Most of the people forced into spying roles are reluctant, not just hesitant, but completely unmotivated as they’re aware their every thought is monitored. It’s not hard to tell the difference now that we know what we’re looking for.”

“You’re right,” Betty conceded. “But we know the Inquisitors are interested in us, so we’ve got to ask.”

“As you keep insisting, we have to take chances if we have any hope of succeeding.”

“Everything we’re doing is a huge risk,” Al reminded them. “But then, doing nothing is an even bigger one, as we stand little chance of survival if we don’t finagle the outcome beforehand.”

“Here’s hoping we’re not overestimating our changes, or giving the Zssizliq too much credit.”

“Believe me, we’ll be the first to know if we’ve bitten off more than we can chew,” Al said. “But we’ve both got jobs to do, and we don’t want to be late.”

____________________
Captain Yitzl was waiting, and slapped Al on the back as the humans entered the bridge. “So you’ve been busy. The entire ship is abuzz about you, and not just about the tasks you were assigned to this mission for—as unbelievable as those are. You just keep surprising everyone. Is there no limit to the miracles you can accomplish?”

“I’m interested in ensuring those who’ll battle alongside me are up to the task. By giving the widows and widowers something to fight for, they’re better prepared to defend us.”

“You’re not kidding. I peeked in the gymnasium—which is normally empty—and I’ve never seen so many people working so hard. Hell, I couldn’t get them that enthused if I threatened them with confinement.”

“You don’t motivate through threats. The problem, as I keep repeating, is we’ve conditioned everyone not to think of new solutions. As a result, they only put in the minimal effort, afraid to consider ways to gain an advantage over the enemy. Now that they feel empowered and in charge of their futures for the first time, they’re excited. They’re working overtime, preparing for their eventual encounter with the Zssizliq.”

“You don’t need to convince me. When we started, your people were outperforming the rest of the crew, not only in the hours worked, but also in the sheer quality of work performed. Now, those constrained to the back rooms tracking resources are actively practicing for combat, productivity is up, and the caliber of performance is higher than it’s ever been across the board. The ship’s never been in better shape.”

“That brings up something else I’m eager to try. I suggest we shift our strategy. Rather than sticking near the other Tandorian ships, I’d like to venture far from them and well into unexplored Zssizliq space.”

“If we do that, we’ll have no support if attacked!”

“Precisely, but our mission is pointless if we never encounter the enemy. Remaining where it’s safe makes it unlikely we’ll face any opposition. We also don’t need to actively engage our foes. We only have to get near enough for them to scan us to test whether we’re able to withstand their mental probes. Once they’re aware of us, we can haul ass back where we have the support of other Tandorian ships.”

“Except, as you well know, we can’t reverse the ship’s trajectory fast enough. It takes time to come to a halt, giving them time to target and engage us.”

“Which brings me to the second part of my strategy. Instead of flying blindly, we travel as swiftly as possible to a specific location and come to a full stop, searching the vicinity for any signal of foreign ships. That way, if there are any, we’ll already be prepared to retreat immediately.”

“You mean, just sit still, rather than traveling while we search? That will reduce the range we can cover.”

“Face it; we can traverse the space surrounding our ships as much as we want, the enemy is unlikely to be there. If they were, they’d attack. We’re too cautious. We keep losing because we insist on playing it safe, while our adversaries get to pick their battles, knowing where to find us. We need to take more chances. The ship is in great shape. The crew is fully prepared and ready to engage. By adopting my plan, we can identify Zssizliq ships early and retreat, encouraging them to follow as we lead them where our forces can attack them.” Al paused for effect. “Just imagine if we not only prove our human capabilities, but deliver a complete victory over a larger Zssizliq ship! You’ll not only be considered a hero, but a brilliant strategist.”

“I’ve got to admit, while it’s risky, the chances of success do seem high enough to consider it. If we keep to our traditional strategy, it could take months before we encounter the enemy. If we not only locate them sooner, but deliver a major victory, we’ll all be heroes.”

“You’re right. Once we prove my people can withstand a Zssizliq probe, the Tandorian high command will split us up across the front. We’ll implement their strategies across the front, leading other starships as well. You’ll undoubtedly command one of those vessels, one even larger and more magnificent than this.”

“You make a convincing argument.”

“Good, let’s plan out the location of our closest ships.”

“I’ll have it called up immediately.”

“Sorry, if it’s necessary to reverse course quickly, I’ll need constant access to their locations. Otherwise, it’ll take too long planning our escape, allowing the Zssizliq to close.”

“You’re right. This is an extreme case. I’ll authorize you unlimited access. Do you need to allow the transfer?”

“Nah. We’ve already handled it,” Al said, relying on the newer quantum links Myi provided to deliver the authority to their aids. He took a moment, mentally evaluating the information before issuing orders.

“That’s a pretty ... remote region,” the navigator said.

“That’s the plan. You can’t win if you never take risks, and the bigger the stake, the greater the potential win.”

“Or the more spectacular the failure,” he mumbled, but implemented the command.”

“Let me issue a ship-wide statement,” Yitzl said, activating the broadcast.

“Attention crew: I am implementing a new tactic. We’re about to venture deep into unexplored Zssizliq territory, far from our defending ships. As such, I want everyone prepared for combat. When we arrive, we’ll sit quietly, searching for nearby enemy vessels. This will allow us to escape if we face attack, but that depends upon where we end up. If the enemy ships are distant, then it’s a valid strategy and you needn’t worry. If we arrive near oncoming vessels, we’ll likely be under attack before we can make our escape.

“Since we’ll be conducting this procedure in a step process, I will issue an alert when we move, and another when we arrive. You can continue your operations, but need to be prepared to immediately undertake defensive actions if we encounter opposition. If instead, we find no enemy ships nearby, we’ll continue until we do.”

‘The One,’ Al signaled as Captain Yitzl was issuing his general warning. ‘Prepare to send the following signal once the ship arrives at its new locations.’

‘Notice to any Zssizliq vessels,’ Al began, dictating the message in precise Zssizliq. ‘Although we are broadcasting from a Tandorian ship, we are an independent race, unfamiliar with the true history of this conflict. We’re eager to learn what the Tandorians refuse to admit, so we encourage you to respond.

‘We’ve overridden the Tandorian sensors, so if you reply, they won’t hear. If you establish contact, we’ll disguise your presence. But if you show any hostility, we won’t hesitate to alert the Tandorians so they can take defensive actions.

‘We’re reaching out in an attempt to understand which side to take in this conflict, and hope you’ll accept our invitation to negotiate rather than attacking a recognized enemy. If you do, we’ll do everything we can to arrange a cessation in hostilities.’